This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7 119 from an application entitled a Method For Controlling The Asynchronous Transfer Mode Call in an ATM Switching System earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on the 25th day of October 1997, and there duly assigned Serial No. 1997-55001, and on the 27th day of July 1998, and there duly assigned Serial No. 1998-30111, a copy of which is annexed hereto.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switching system, and more particularly to a method controlling an asynchronous transfer mode call in an asynchronous transfer mode switching system for balancing and sharing the load.
2. Related Art
In the field of high speed networking, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is a key component. Asynchronous transfer mode is a telecommunications technique for carriage of a complete range of user traffic, including voice, data, and video signals, on any user-to-network interface (UNI). The telecommunications technique known as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) was defined by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standards.
American National Standards Institute is a nonprofit organization formed in 1918 to coordinate private sector standards development in the United States of America. The International Telecommunications Union is an international standards organization that is part of the United Nations. The International Telecommunications Union, formerly known as the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT), comprises an international committee established to promote standards for the development of telephone, telegraph systems, and data networks and to create the environment for interworking between the networks of the different countries of the world.
Asynchronous transfer mode is extremely well suited to high speed networking. Asynchronous transfer mode technology can be used to aggregate user traffic from existing applications onto a single user-to-network interface (UNI), and to facilitate multimedia networking between high speed devices at high speeds, for example 150 megabits per second.
In general, packet-switching technologies are used to relay data traffic via an address contained within a packet. Asynchronous transfer mode is one of a class of such packet-switching technologies.
There are different types of asynchronous transfer mode switches. The term xe2x80x9cswitch fabricxe2x80x9d refers to the method of data being switched from one node to another within a network. The term xe2x80x9ccellxe2x80x9d refers to a fixed-length unit of data traveling through the switch fabric. Cell switching breaks up data streams into small units that are independently routed through the switch. The routing occurs mostly in hardware through the switching fabric. The combination of cell switching and scaleable switching fabrics are key components of asynchronous transfer mode.
Exemplars of recent efforts in the art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,072 for a Flow Control Apparatus and Flow Control Method issued to Shimojo et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,977 for Apparatus and Method for Determining a Network Node Congestion State in Order to Control the Congestion in an Atm Network issued to Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,754 for Method and Arrangement for the Load Testing of a Switch for Cell Structured Digital Data issued to Grxc3xcnenfelder, U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,566 for a Flow Control System for Packet Switches issued to Ljungberg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,863 for Method And Arrangement For Fast Through-connect of Virtual Connections in ATM Communications System issued to Hummel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,795 for Local Network Operating in Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Generating Control Cell Containing Information about the User, Address oft he Station, and User-related Identification issued to Du, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,839 for ATM Switching System issued to Torii et al. The aforementioned patents are different from the present invention.
While these recent efforts provide advantages, I note that they fail to adequately provide an efficient method controlling an asynchronous transfer mode call in an asynchronous transfer mode switching system for balancing and sharing the load.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling a call so that a plurality of different physical ports, which are connected to a plurality of different asynchronous transfer mode switching systems, may be sequentially utilized.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling a call in a switching device which enables the switching device to share and balance the load of a number of calls being handled by the switching device, to enhance performance of the switching device. The switching device can be an asynchronous transfer mode switching device.
To achieve an object of the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a method for controlling an asynchronous transfer mode call for balancing and sharing the load, according to the principles of the present invention, comprises a step of requesting of an asynchronous transfer mode access unit of the sending side, for an asynchronous transfer mode access unit of the receiving side to set up the call and a step of transferring a release or release-complete message to an asynchronous transfer mode switch of the sending side, if the asynchronous transfer mode switch of the receiving side fails in setting up the call because of the fault among the access units.
And the method further comprises a step of searching the address of the next destination and requesting of an asynchronous transfer mode switch oft he sending side for an asynchronous transfer mode access unit of the receiving side to set up the call, after receiving said release or release-complete message, transferring a call connection message to the asynchronous transfer mode access unit of the sending side, if said call is set up and a step of transferring a connection acknowledgment message about the call connection message to the asynchronous transfer mode switch of the sending side and a step of providing a communication service after the call connection.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles oft he present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method comprising: first requesting that a communication link be established between a first end unit and a second end unit, said first requesting being performed by said first end unit when said first end unit contacts a first switch unit disposed between said first end unit and said second end unit; when said communication link fails to be established by a route passing through a first port, transmitting a release signal to said first switch unit, said first port coupling a second switch unit to said second end unit, said second switch unit being disposed between said first switch unit and said second end unit; when said release signal is received, first searching for an address of a second port and then second requesting that said communication link be established, said second requesting being performed by said first switch unit and not being performed by said first end unit, wherein said second port couples said second switch unit to said second end unit; and enabling said first end unit to communicate with said second end unit along said communication link.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method comprising: first requesting that a communication link be established between a first access unit and a second access unit by a route passing through a switching device, said first requesting being performed by said first access unit when said first access unit contacts a first switch unit, said first and second access units being coupled to said switching device but not being included within said switching device, said first switch unit being included within said switching device; when said communication link fails to be established by a route passing through a first port wherein said first port couples a second switch unit to said second access unit, transmitting a release signal to said first switch unit, said second switch unit being included within said switching device; when said release signal is received, first searching for an address of a second port and then second requesting that said communication link be established by a route passing through said second port, said second requesting being performed by said first switch unit and not being performed by said first access unit, wherein said second port couples said second switch unit to said second access unit; and enabling said first access unit to communicate with said second access unit along said communication link along said route passing through said second port.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides an apparatus comprising: a switching device routing signals along a plurality of paths; a plurality of switching units being installed in said switching device, said plurality of switching units including first and second switch units, said plurality of switching units enabling said switching device to route signals along said plurality of paths; a first communication unit being coupled to said switching device; a second communication unit being coupled to said switching device; a plurality of ports being installed in said switching device, said plurality of ports coupling said second communication unit with said switching device, said plurality of ports including first and second ports; said first communication unit first requesting that a communication link be established between said first communication unit and said second communication unit by a route passing through said switching device; when said communication link fails to be established by a route passing through said first port, said first switch unit first searching for an address of said second port and then second requesting that said communication link be established by a route passing through said second port, said second requesting being performed by said first switch unit and not being performed by said first communication unit; and said first communication unit communicating with said second communication unit through said switching device along said communication link by said route passing through said second port.
The present invention is more specifically described in the following paragraphs by reference to the drawings attached only by way of example. Other advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and from the claims.